Fall is coming

The leaves are starting to turn and the oak leaves are falling.

It's been to dry this summer so we probably won't have much good color from the Oaks. The brown ones are falling every day.

This is a picture of the old dogwood just outside my porch. Only taken from the ground so can't see quite as much color yet. Don't you like my picnic table? Just one too many picnics on it over the years. It probably was made by the contractor that built this house in 1964. It hadn't fallen apart until this past winter. I sort of like the rustic look.

Then this picture is taken closer to my neighbors. That bright orange tree is a dogwood, and the real dark maroon leaves are from a small maple, I think on our property.

Since the sun hits the dogwood most of the day it gets the brillant color.

Kim's mention yesterday of Placerville, California reminded me of something else about my grandfather.

My great grandfather went to California overland but sent his wife on boat via the horn,, I think they called it. Anyway when she landed in San Fransisco they went to Redwood City and my grandfather was the first WHITE baby born there. Can't give you the date. But in later years then his Mother had a rooming house in Placerville for the miners.

From there as a young man he started to drive 20 mule team down to the Arizona territory. Always said that the valley would be great farming land if they could get some water.

He settled then for a while in Arizonia with another fellow and they needed a housekeeper. The other man had a sister up in Salt Lake City with 3 young children and her husband had left her. So they brought her down to Arizona to cook for them while they farmed. She ended up marrying my grandfather.
They then had 6 children, 3 that survived the influenza
He got arthritis bad in later years and I only remember when he died when I was 5 years old. My grandmother lived to 82 years old.